AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani says the signing of Manchester City winger Robinho is a gift from Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi to the club's fans.
Robinho completed the surprise move yesterday, just days after Milan had also spent big on former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Galliani said: "This purchase was a gift from Berlusconi. We were pondering what to do and he told me to proceed with the operation even if the transfer of Marco Borriello (who eventually joined AS Roma) wasn't going to happen.
"The cost of Robinho? €18 million plus bonuses."
